Method of and apparatus for stenciling



Jan. 7, 1936 E. M. HOMMEL ET AL I METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR STENCILING Filed Aug. 1, 1933 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 I5 INVENTORS gym a? M Jan. 7, 1936. l E. M. HO'MMEL- ET AL 2,027,102

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR STENCILING Filed Aug. 1, 1953 4 Sheds-Sheet 2 s r; 1 l .5-

. 801) I 47 Q 4a 51 4 47 '5! Z r 1 5 85 5/ [:1 o 0 o I /J/ I 3: 3 m: 50 I "i 52311 a. z l 2a 35 B 21 15 m /46 r 43 4 I! J I I INVE NTORfi Jan. 7, 1936. E. M. HOMMEL ET AL METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR STENCILING Filed Aug. 1, 1935 4 heets -Sheet' 5 INVENTORS Jan. 7, 1936. E. M; HOMMEL El AL 2,027,102

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR STENCILING I Filed Aug. 1, 1933 4 Shets-Sheet 4 I uunuunun mvsu-rons Patented Jan. 7,- 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE rm'rnon or AND srraaa'rus r'on s-rancmmc Ernest M. Rommel, Pittsburgln: and Elmer E. Hicks, Monaca, Pa., assignors toThe 0. Hommel Companma corporation of Pennsylvania Application August 1, 1933, Serial No. 683,142

12 Claims. (01. 101-123) which may receive color after its application to the object; indeed, the invention may be used in decorating round objects with material other than vitrifiable material.

,The object of the invention is to provide an .automatic decorating machine of this so'rta machine which automatically takes the glass Dosal.

objects from a supply, automatically applies the decoration upon the objects, and automatically discharges the decorated objects at a place of dis- Speed and certainty of operation, and economy in the construction andsupervision of such a machine are other objects of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings Fig. I is a view in'plan from above of a machine embodying the invention; Fig. 11 is a view of the machine in side elevation; Fig. III is a fragmentary sectional view, taken on'the plane III-III of Fig. II, and showing to larger scale the feeding instrumentalities of the machine about to pick up an object (which in this case is shown to be a bottle) ,from a supply chute; Fig. IV is a transverse sectional view of the machine, taken on the plane IV-I-V of Fig. I, and showing certain details of construction; Fig. V is a fragmentary view of the machine, partly in elevation and partly in vertical section, as viewed on the plane V-V of Fig. VI; Fig. V1 is a fragmentary viewv in vertical, medial section of the stencil whichis organized in the apparatus, and illustrates in vertical section the automatic squeegee device which cooperates with the stencil in applying decorations to the objects fed through the machine; Fig. VII

machine; Fig. VIII is a diagrammatic view, showing a modification in the means for applying the decoration to the objects; Fig. IX is a detail of parts shown in Fig. VIII; and Fig. X is a dia- 1' grammatic view illustrating the movement imparted to the objects while they are advancing .1 through the machine.

the machine in this case was especially developed for the marking of glass bottles, and in such embodiment the invention will be described. Referring to the drawings the machine affords mounting for a stencil screen I The screen in this 5 case consists of silk-fabric drawn taut upon and secured to a rectangular frame 2 of wood. As a matter of fact, the screen may be a fine-mesh metal screen, or it may be a screen of fabric other than silk: In any case the screen is flexible, and provision is made that it shall be impervious to liquid, save over apattern area 3.

Over that area the screen is pervious. This is accomplished, conveniently, by applying upon the upper face of the fabric a thin coating of nitrol5 celluloselacquer, leaving only the pattern area 3 uncoated. A squeegee device 4, mounted upon an automaticallwi'eciprocated arm 5, is adapted to sweep. to and fro across the upper face of screen I; as presently will appear the movement of the squeegee device is synchronized with the advance of the bottles B through the machine; and as presently will appear the bottles B are rolled one after the other across the nether face of the screen, while the squeegee device 4 advances across the upper face of the screen in unison with the bottle beneath. The squeegee device 4, of. Figs. VI and VII, as it advances in unison with a'bottle, automatically feeds a film of the material to be applied upon the bottle to the upper face of the screen. Accordingly, in the advance of the squeegee device 4 over and the rolling of the bottle beneath the screen, thematerial is exuded through so much of the screen as is pervious, and applied upon the surface of the bottle. l

Insofar as a clear understanding of the squeegee device 4 will facilitate a comprehensive. consideration of the machine in general, the structure and operation of such device will now be described. Turning to Figs. VI and VII, it will be perceived that the squeegee device 4 includes a downward converging hopper 6 in which is held a store I of the material to be applied to the bottles. In the instance chosen for illustration the material 'applied as decoration is, after application, to be vitrified upon the surface of the bottle. .Accordingly the material stored in hopper 8 is a vitreous color material (or a material capable of receiving color after application) as distinguished from a paint, a lacquer, or a heavy ink. Such other materials may in other cases be employed for providing bottles or other objects with airhardened decorations. The vitrifiable color material first alluded to may comprise a vitriflable pigment (or a pigment mixed with a vitrifiable substance) carried by a liquid vehicle, such as balsam capaiba or damar varnish. Alternately, the material within the hopper 6 may be balsam copaiba, damar varnish, or other vehicle which when applied to the bottles inthe pattern of the prede-. termined decoration is capable of receiving and retaining color material dusted upon it. In the following specification the material applied to the bottles is mentioned as a vitrifiable color material, but it will be understood in view of what has been said that decoration-affording materials and materials that serve in the production of decoration upon the surface to be decorated are intended and are to be held equally in contemplation.

The front wall 8 and side walls 9 of hopper 6 are rigid and are conveniently fashioned integrally of sheet metal, while the rear wall of the hopper is in part rigid and in part flexible. The flexible material of which the rear wall is in part formed takes the form of a relatively heavy sheet of rubber, which sheet of rubber forms the squeegee member of the device. In this case, the rear wall of the hopper consists of a rubbersheet Ill, secured between two walls ll, I2 of sheet metal; in a working model a rubber sheet of approximity in thickness was used with good results. The lower edge I of therubber squeegee member extends slightly below the lower edge of wall 8, and normally the inner face of the rubber member lies snugly against such edge of wall 8, so that normally the store I of color material has no downward escape from the hopper.

The squeegee device 4 is secured to the arm 5,

- by means of brackets 13. Provision is made, as

expanse of the screen I.

will presently appear, for reciprocating the arm 5, andthe device 4 with it, to and fro across the The movement imparted to the arm 5 is a compound movement. Beginning with the normal or stationary position of the device shown in Fig. VI, the movement of arm 5 is first one of counter-clockwise turning (through a small angle, say from five to twenty degrees) and then a left-to-right horizontal movement across the face of the stencil screen. The motions describedare then repeated in opposite directions, and the device 4 is restored to its initial position. Fig. VI shows the squeegee device in its normal or inactive position, in which position it remains until a bottle in its course through the machine advances to a, position bevice 4, the arm 5 turns in counter-clockwise di-' rection, swinging the device 4 from its position of normal inclination (see Fig. VI) to its operative position in which its inclination approaches the vertical (see Fig. VII). In consequence of the angular movement of the device 4, the edge I00 of the squeegee member ID is shifted from aposition immediately above the screen I (Fig. VI) to such position that it engages and presses the screen downward into positive engagement with the crest of the bottles cylindrical face (Fig.'VII) It is characteristic of the squeegee device 4, that the wall member I'll is elastic, so that its lower portion may yield frorn the plane of its extent. The rigid supporting walls I I, I2 terminate a substantial interval above the bottom of the hopper 6 to admit of such yielding. Accordingly, as the arm 5 turns and brings the edge of the rubber squeegee member l0. into engagement with the screen I, depressing the screen, the portion of member l0 extending below the rigid wall I2 is flexed to the position in which it is shown in Fig. VII. Thus the engagement between member l0 and the lower edge of wall 8 is broken, and a narrow mouth I4 is provided, through which a thin film of material 1 flows from within the hopper and upon the screen.

The left-to-right advance of the bottle B is continuous and, as will presently appear, means are provided to rotate the bottle counter-clockwise as 10 it advances, with a surface velocity equal and at the point of tangency with the screen opposite in direction to the horizontal velocity of advance. When, during the advance of the bottle, the squeegee device. has been swung into the position shown in Fig. VII and in consequence the screen I has-been pressed into contact with the side of the bottle, the turning movement of the arm 5 ceases, and is followed by a left-to-right linear advance of the arm. The velocity of advance of the arm :0

5, and of the squeegee device carried by it, equals the linear velocity of the bottle B. Accordingly, the squeegee device and the bottle advance in unison, and during the advance a thin film of the material I is spread upon the upper face of the :23 screen I. Upon reaching the pervious area 3 of the screen, the material is, by the edge lllll of squeegee member ID, pressed through the screen, and progressively applied upon the cylindrical face of the advancing bottle, so that, upon traversing the pervious area of the screen, the bottle is coated with the material in the predetermined pattern.

When the squeegee device has traversed the effective or pervious area of the screen, means presently to be described function, to swing the arm 5 clockwise and restore, it to the inclination in which it is shown in Fig. VI. 'Ihereupon, the arm 5. is shifted horizontally, back to its initial, inactive position. Manifestly, this clockwise 40 'turning of the arm 5 is effective to relieve the pressure of engagement between the squeegee member I 0 and the screen, and in consequence the screen rises from contact with the surface of the bottle and the elastic member It returns to 5 its position against the lower edge of hopper wall 8. Thus, the mouth l4 of the hopper is closed, and the flow of the color material is stopped during the return of the squeegee device to its normal position, in which position it remains until the operation is automatically repeated for the next succeeding bottle on its way through the machine. When the decoration has been fully applied to .the bottle and the arm 5 makes its return swing in clockwise direction, the rotation of the bottlewill advantageously be intermittent. Its linear progress, however, will continue. Intermission of the now purposeless rotation is advantageous, in order to insure that the work will not be smeared by unintended contact with the screen. Having considered above the general mode of operation of the machine, a detailed description will now be given of the mechanical means for automatically feeding the bottles across the screen in conjunction with the mechanism for operating the squeegee device in the described manner.

Turning to Fig. I, it will be observed that the machine includes two endless chains 15 and I6, trained each upon a pair of sprocket wheels which are secured to twolshafts l1 and I8. The shafts 11, I8 are trunnioned at their opposite ends in machine frame members l9, and extend in common plane. and in parallelism. The sprocket wheels are of equal size, and are so relatively lo- 15 tor (Fig. II), by suitable means, such as that indicated, is caused to drive the shaft I8, and in service the motor is adapted to rotate such shaft clockwise, eiiecting the travel of the chains I5, I3 in unison and in such direction that the upper reaches of the chains advance from leit to right,

as viewed in Figs. I, II, and V. Bottle-supporting devices 2I are secured at regular intervals to the chain I5, and (in-precisely the same intervals), cooperating devices 22 are secured tothe chain I6. Considering the two chains I5, I6 together, it will be understood that the devices 2I, 22 are paired in alignment transversely of the machine, and that during the travel of the chains the paired devices 2 I 22 remain always in such alignment. The devices 2|, 22 of each pair cooperate in supporting, and (in response to the travel of the chains) in moving a bottle through the machine.

organized with chains I5, I3- are guides, to

v which the reference numerals 23 and 24 are severally applied; these guides. conveniently, are

fashioned of structural angle inembers, and are so organized in the machine that their horizontal flanges 23a, 23a (Fig. IV) serve as rigid supports forthe devices2 I ,22 in the travelof the chains through their upper reaches, while the'vertical flangesof the guides are instrumental during the joint travel of the chains in causing the bottle-supporting devices automaticallyjto pick up bottles from a source of supply at the entrance end of the machine, to support the bottles b'r'i'their way through the machine, and to allow the bottles to escape at the discharge end of the machine. As may be seen in Fig- IV; each device 2i comprises a bearing block 25, through which a spindle 26 projects. The bearing block is secured to the chain l5, by means of two lugs 23, in accordance with the well-known manner of securing a block or other device to an endless sprocket chain. on its inner end the spindle 26 carries a socket member 21 (cf. Fig. III) which is adapted to seat snugly over the bottom of bottle B. On

the outer end of the spindle 23 a ball bearing 34 is secured. A compression spring 32 isarranged on the spindle between the bearing block" and the bearing 34, and such spring tends to move the spindle 26 to the right, Fig.

The bottle-supporting devices 22 are in general features of structure identical with the devices 2 I that is, each device 22 includes a bearing block 29, a spindle 30, a ball bearing II on the outer tip of the spindle, and a spring 32 tending to shift the spindle outward with respectto the vertical 'mid- -plane of the machine. However, there is this distinction to be noted,-'-in place of the socket 21: the spindle of the device 22' carries at its inner end a conical nose member 33, adapted to enter and snugly engage the mouth ofabottleB.

As may be observed in Figs. I and II, eacliguide 23, 24 is in its extent shaped in correspondence with the course of its associated sprocket chain (I5, I6). That is to say, the guides 23', ,24 ex? tend severally adjacent and parallel to the upper reaches of chains I5, l6 and at their opposite ends the guides are curved downward, having the axes of the shafts I1, I8 as radii of curvature. The bearing blocks 25, 23 of the bottle-supporting devices are provided with rigid wings (cf. Fig.

II, the ball bearing equipped tips of the spindles V). As the chains IS, IS carry the bottle supports 2 I, 22 around the sprocket wheels and along the path defined by the upper reaches of the chains, these wings 35 ride the horizontal flanges 23a 24a (see Figs. IV and V) of the guides mentioned above, and, as has been already indicated, the flanges 23a 24a serve as rails to hold the bottle supports in true course in their left-to-right advance, Fig. 11. As the chains I5, IS in their travel round the sprocket wheels on shafts I'I, I8, the ball bearings 3|, 34 (home upon the outer tips of the bottle-supporting spindles 26, 30 and under the urgings of springs 32) ride against the vertical flanges 23b, 24b of the guides 23, 24. It .will be understood, therefore, that the interval between 15 the socket member 21 and nose 33 of each pair of bottle supports 2|, 22 is determined by the interval between the vertical guiding flanges 23b,- 24b. Along the upper reaches of the sprocket chains such vertical guiding flanges are straight (see 1 Fig. I) and are so spaced apart that a bottle B may be engaged by and supported between the socket member 21 and nose 33 of each pair of bottle-supporting devices 2|, 22. At the curved end portions of the stationary guides, the flanges 7 23b, 241; are flared outward, as indicated at 23c and 24c in Figs. I and III. Due to such structure as the chains travel the spindles 26, 30 of the opposite bottle supports 2|, 22 of a pair are axially shifted in their hearing blocks 25, 29, when 30 the chains I5, I6 carry them around the sprocket I wheels at the left-hand end of the machine. More specifically, when the bottle-supporting de-. vices are advancing from right to left (Fig. II) through the lower reach of travel of the sprocket chains the spindles 26, 30 arev free, and the springs 32 are efiective to maintain the spindles in such positions that the interval between the Cal bottle-engaging elements 21, 33 of each pair of supporting devices 2i, 22 is at a maximum, an interval that is greater than the length of a bottle B to be fed through the machine. 'When in their course of travel an opposed pair of bottlesupporting devices starts to round the sprocket wheels at the left-hand end of the machine, Fig.

26-, 30 engagethe flared flanges (23c, 24c),'and as the devices advance, their spindles 26, 30 are by their combined engagement with the flanges shifted on common axis toward one another. During suchinward shifting of the spindles the bottle-engaging elements 21, 33 are closed in engagement with the opposite ends of a bottle B.

The bottle then, as the chainsadvance is carried upward, around the sprocket wheels, and then horizontally, through the extent of the upper reaches of the chains.

Means are provided for automatically bringing a succession of bottles one after another to the position in which the bottle-engaging elements 30 I 21, 33 will close upon them. In Fig. III the bottle B is shown in such position, and a pair, of bottlesupporting devices 2I, 22, adv'ancing'with the I lower r'eachesof chains I5, I6, is in progress of rounding the sprocket wheels at the entrance end as of themachine. The spindles 26, 30 of the bottle-supporting'devices, in bearing at their outer tips against the converging guiding flanges 230,. 240 (during such advance of the chains) are shifted axially toward the vertical midplane of 7' the machine, and are shown in positions immediately preceding the engagement of the elements 21, 33 with the bottle B. Continued advance of the chains, accompanied by the inward shifting of the spindles 26, 30, brings the socket member 5 21 to a. position over the bottom of the bottle, and moves the conical element 33 into the mouth .of the bottle. Thus the bottle B is engaged by a of rubber, and the socket member 21 is faced with an elastic gasket 35 of rubber or cork, Fig. III, to prevent the pressure exerted upon the bottles from being too severe, and to compensate for such usual small variations as exist in the dimensions of bottles of a given size. In exemplary way, the means for automatically presenting bottles to the machine are shown in Figs. II and III. Conveniently, an inclined platform 31 is supported at the entrance end of the machine; the platform is aligned longitudinally with the path followed by the bottles through the machine; a supply of bottles is placed on the platform, and, due to the inclination of the platform, the bottles roll toward the entrance end of the" stenciling machine. A movable stop 33 is provided to hold the line of bottles normally in check; a mechanical linkage 33 is organized with the stop, and in response to the actuation of such linkage the stop 33 is oscillated, freeing the foremost bottle of the line, to roll down the platform to a position against a stationary stop 43, and to allow the line of bottles to advance through the vacated interval. when at rest against the stop 43, the bottle B (Fig. III). is in the precise position for the bottle-supporting devices 2|, 22 to pick it umpreparatory to carryingit into the machine in the manner already described. The linkage 39 includes a tripping block 4| (Fig. II), and, as the bottle B which was last removed from the pick-up position mentioned is rounding the sprocket wheels, the tripping block 4| is engaged by the bottle, and swung in such manner as to operate the mechanism 33 for the release of another bottle from the line. The immediate return of stop 33 to initial position checks the advance of the succeeding bottles in the line of supply. 80, the bottles are fed one by one to a position against stop 43, whence the advancing devices 2|, 22. engage them and carry themin succession past the stencil screen I.

In the forepart of this specification, it was shown that the bottles B are rolled across the nether face of the stencil screen. Provision is made that such rolling of the bottles shall be positive and at an angular velocity definitely related to the linear velocity of advance. Referring to Fig. I V, it will be perceived that, each of the bottle-supporting devices 2| includes a gear 42 in mesh with a pinion 43. The gear 42 is integrally mounted upon spindle 26, and pinionf43 is idly mounted upon a bracket which is carried by bearing block 25. A rack 45, having gear teeth along its upper edge, is secured to the frame of the machine in such organization that, as the bottles B approach the stencil screen I, the pinions 43 of the advancing bottle-supporting devices mesh with the rack 45, and produce counterclockwise rotation of the bottles (Fig. VIII). The teeth on the rack 45 are discontinued at a point near the right-hand end of the stencil. Accordingly, while the linear advance of the bottle conthe bottle at the line of contact with the screen is equal to the linear velocity of bottle advance. The rack 45 in engaging the pinions 43 cooperates with the horizontal flange 23a of the guide 23 in supporting the devices 2|, while a guide 43 (see Fig. IV) cooperates with the horizontal flange 24a of guide24 in supporting the devices 22, so that the devices 2|, 22 and the bottles are held securely in true course on their way through the working pass of the machine.

The stencil screen i is mounted in the machine by supporting means which are adjustable vertically and laterally of the machine, so that the position of the screen may be altered to suit bottles of various sizes. Such supporting means H comprise four corner members 41 secured to the guides 23, 24, (see Figs. I, IV, V). To the.members 41 two cross bars 43 are secured; and the cross bars- 43 carry four vertical angle members 49, to whose lower ends a rectangular metal frame 53 is secured. In the. frame 53 the stencil screen borne upon the wooden frame 2 is firmly held, by means of any suitable screws or clamps. As shown in Fig. IV, the members 41, .43 and 43 of the screen-supporting means are all provided with longitudinal slots, and all are mounted and held in assembly by means of bolts 5| extending through the slots and secured in place by wing nuts. Manifestly, such structure admits of vertical and lateral adjustment of the screen I.

Turning now to a consideration of the means which operate the squeegee device 4 in synchronism with the advance 'of bottles through the machine, attention is directed to Figs. IV and V. The arm 5 which supports the squeegee device is rotatably secured in a hollow sliding head 52; the head 52 is slideable in a guide frame 53 which is supported by the cross bars 43, above mentioned. A rod 54 is secured to the sliding head 52, and such rod is supported in bearings carried by the opposite ends of frame 53. A tension spring 55 is secured at itsone end to a stationary post 56 and at its other end to an arm 51 fixed upon rod 54. Within the hollow sliding head 52 a lever 53 is secured upon the arm 5, and a torsion spring 59 is organized between the lever and the wall of the sliding head. The torsion spring tends to swing the lever 53 clockwise, Fig. V, but such swinging normally is limited by a stop 53 which is adjustablv secured to the frame 53.

The upper body portion 33!. of the stop extendsathwart the way in frame 53 in which the head 52 is slideable, and serves as an abutment against which the sliding head 52 normally bears, under the tension of spring 55 which is effective through the rod 54 upon the sliding head. In the normal or inactive position of the sliding head 52 (see Fig. V), the lever 53 is inclined, and in such inclined position of the lever, the arm 5 is angularly so adjusted that the squeegee device 4 is held in the position shown in Fig. VI.. As has been already explained, the position of the squeegee device in Fig. VI is the inactive positionthe position of rest in whichthe squeegee member I3 closes the outlet of hopper 6. a

Each of the bottle-supporting devices 22 carried by the chain I6 is provided with a finger 3|, and in the travel of the device through the upper reach of chain l3 (see Fig. V), the finger 3| en- 1 4 from the inactive position shown in Fig. VI

into the operative position shown in Fig. V11.

In limiting the counter-clockwise swing of lever 58 in the described manner, it is manifest that the uninterrupted advance of the chain It and the corresponding travel of the bottle-supporting devices will, by engagement of finger 5! against the lever, effect first,the counter-clockwise swinging of the lever 58 into vertical position, and then the linear advance of the sliding head 52 along the 20 guiding frame 53. Of course, the advance of the sliding head 52, in the frame 53, effects the left-to-right travel of the squeegee device- 4 -(Fig. VII). Such forward advance of the sliding head 52 is produced against the tension of spring 55, and, when the advance of the sliding head has caused the squeegee device to traverse the stencil screen, the engagement between the finger 5| of the bottle-supporting device is interrupted, by means of a tripping 30 rod 62 (Figs. IV and V).

head is freed to the influence of spring 55, and

th lever 58 is freed to the influence of torsional spring 59. Manifestly, under the influence of these springs, the parts are quickly restored to 35 .their initial positions.

More specifically, the lower portion 588 of the lever 58 is pivotally secured to the upper body of the lever, and is adapted to-swing laterally of the path of advance of the fingers 5| carried by the bottle-supporting devices 22. The swingable 4 portion 588 of the lever bears a tapering cam block 588a, and the lateral face of such cam block, in-

the left-to-right advance of the sliding head (Fig. VlI) ,engages the tip of tripping rod 62. Due to a the taper of the cam block 588a thus moving across the tip of rod52, the lower portion 588 of the lever is thrust aside (cf. the dotted line position 588b, Fig. IV), and freed of engagement with the finger 6| of the advancing bottle sup- 50 port 22. As is shown in Fig. IV, a spring 63 is organized with the lever structure, and such spring is adapted normally to maintain the lower portion 588 of the lever in alignment with the upper portion thereof, so that the distal end of the lever 55 remains'in the path of the .fingers save only when the tripping rod 52 effects the lateralswinging alluded to.

Thus, the squeegee device 4 is automatically oscillated, and reciprocated across the upper face 60 of screen I in synchronism with the rolling of bottles against the nether face of the screen. The

stop 68, 58a is adjustable longitudinally of the frame 53 in which the sliding head moves, and,

accordingly, it is a simple matter so. to regulate 65 the dead position of the arm5 that the sweep of the squeegee device 4 is properly synchronized with the advance of the bottles. Additionally the tripping rod 52 is adjustable in a direction parallel to the line of reciprocation of the sliding head 7 52,'the supporting block 54 of the tripping rod beingadjustably secured to the guiding flange 24b for such purpose. I So it will be'understood that the sweep of the squeegee device may be regulated to suit the application of a particular '75 decorationupon bottles ofa particular size. It

Thereupon, the sliding willalsobereadilyrealizedthatthe structureis of such nature that, when it has been once adjusted, the rotary advance of the bottles beneath the screen is positively and accurately synchronized with the -movement of the self-feeding 5 squeegee device I.

Upon passing from beneath the screen i, the chains l5, l6 carry each bottle-supporting device downward and around the sprocket wheels on shaft l8; Due to the outward flaring of the guid- 10 ing flanges (23c and 240) at the right-hand end of the machine (Fig. I), the springs 32 become effective to shift the stems 26, 38 outwardwithdrawing the socket member 21 and conical element 33 from engagement with the bottle, whereby the bottle is released as indicated at D in Fig. II. Any convenient conveyor or receptacle may, of course, be organized at the right-hand end of the machine, to receive the discharged bottles.

In Fig. VIII a modification in the means for applying the decoration is shown. Here the design is adapted to be printed upon the bottles by means of type 88 (say'rubber type set in or integrated with a block 88a of rubber) secured in any convenient frame 8L. The travelling conveyor and its'rotary supports comprise, as in the structure already described, a pair of chains l5a; lBa adapted to travel continuously upon the sprocket wheels on-sha'fts Ila, l8a. And such chains are provided with the' bottle-supporting devices described above. In brief, the modified machine may be substantially identical with the machine illustrated in Figs. I to V, except that the decorating means include a printing device 8 instead of a stenciling device. supplying the type 88 with the color material to be appliedto the bottlesinclude a platen 82 organized beneath the lower reach of the conveyor chains; upon the upperface of the platen is spread a supply of the color 'material, as printing ink 40 is spread upon the platen of an "offset printing press. Secured to theconveyor chains l5a, [5a

1 is a plurality of rollers 83, and such rollers, during the travel of the chains through their lower reach, roll across the face of the platen 82. Dur-' ing their travel throughtheupperreachof the conveyor, the rollers 83,1'011 across the face of type. 1.

In rolling across the platen 82 the surfaces of rollers 83 are coated with films of color material, and during their travel through the upper reach of the conveyor the rollers 83 apply the color material to the type 88. Thus, the modified deccrating device is intermittently supplied with the color material to be applied to the bottles. I 56- Advantageously, the ro1lers'83 are located intermediately of the successive bottle-supporting devices on the chains. Opposite. roll-supporting brackets 84 are secured to the chains I511, I612 for mounting the rollers upon the chains, as indicated diagrammatically in Fig. IX. In the modified machine, as in the first described machine, the bottles moving beneath the bottle B beneath the type 88 (01' screen I), the 75.

The means for 35 signed that the angular velocities 90 and 9| bear a definite relation to one another, and this relation is such that the surface velocity 92 of the bottle at the point or line 93 of contact between the bottle and the decorating device is equal and opposite to the effective tangential velocity '94 of the sprocket wheels. Accordingly, the velocity 92 of the bottle is equal and opposite to the linear velocity 95 of advance of the conveyor chains.

We claim as our invention:

1. In a stenciling machine, the combination of a stencil screen impervious in main and pervious in pattern, a squeegee device movable across one face of the screen, means for rolling round objects across the opposite face of the screen, and means for automatically moving said squeegee device in-synchronism with the advance of said objects. v

2. In a stenciling machine, the combination of a flexible stencil screen impervious in main and pervious in pattern, -means for rolling a round object across one face of said screen, a movable squeegee device adapted to bear upon the opposite face of said screen, fleinng it from the plane of its expanse and into engagement with said object, and means for moving said squeegee device across said opposite face of said screen in synchronism with the advance of said object.

3. In a stenciling machine, the combination of a stencil screen impervious in main and pervious in pattern, a squeegee member movable across one face of the screen, means organized with said squeegee member for automatically feeding decorating material upon said screen in advance of or during the movement of said squeegee member, means for rolling round objects across the opposite face of said screen, and means for moving said squeegee member in synchronism with the advance of said objects.

4. In a stenciling machine, the combination of a stencil screen impervious in main and pervious in pattern, a plurality of traveling supports including each a pair of opposed members movable on common axis into supporting engagement with an object to be marked, means for moving said members into said engagement with said objects, means for producing the travel of said supports to move said objects across one face. of said screen, a squeegee member movable across the opposite face of the screen, and means for moving said squeegee device in synchronism with the advance of said objects.

5. In a stenciling machine, the combination of a stencil screen impervious in main and pervious in pattern, a squeegee member movable across one face of the screen, means for automatically feeding decorating material upon said screen in advance of or during the movement of said squeegee member, a plurality of traveling supports including each a pair of opposed to move the engaged objects across the opposite face of said screen, and'means for moving said squeegee device across said screen in synchonism with the advance of said objects.

6. In apparatus for decorating a rigid cylindrical object, the combination of a-fiexible sten-' cil impervious in main and pervious in pattern and adapted to receive decorating material on face of said stencil in unison with the move- 2,027,102 velocity 9|. The parts of the machine are so debottle is rotated with an angular velocity and the sprocket wheels are rotated with an angular one face, a squeegee movable across such face of the stencil, means for moving said squeegee in pressure engagement with said face of the 5 stencil, means for holding said flexible stencil taut, said stencil being subject to displacement in response to said pressure engagement, and means for rolling said object across the opposite 10 ment of said squeegee.

7. In a decorating machine the combination of a decorating device, a conveyor movable in linear course relatively to said decorating device, means carried by said conveyor adapted to sup 15 port the objects to be decorated, means for automatically shifting said object, supporting means transversely of the path of travel of the conveyor for engaging and releasing said objects, whereby, during the travel of the conveyor, the objects are 20 engaged, moved automatically in linear course across the effective face of said decorating device, and released.

8. In a decorating machine for bottles the combination, of a decorating device, an endless g5 traveling conveyor adapted to move in linear course relatively to said decorating device, rotary supports for said conveyor, bottle supports carried by said conveyor, said bottle supports being relatively expansible and contractable trans- 30 versely of the conveyor, automatic means for contracting and expanding said bottle supports temporarily to unite the objects to be decorated with the conveyor, whereby, during the travel of the conveyor, the objects are moved auto- 35 matically in linear course across the effective face of said decorating device, driving means for rotating said conveyor supports, and means for producing such positive rotationof said objects that the surface velocity of each object, 40 at the line or point of contact of the object with the face of said decorating device, is equal and opposite to the eflective linear velocity of advance of said conveyor.

9. In a decorating machine, the combination ,5 of a stencil screen impervious in main and pervious in pattern, means for supporting the screen, an endless conveyor adapted to present round objects in succession to said stencil screen, means for rotatably supporting the successively pre- 50 sented objects in rolling engagement with one face of said stencil screen, and means operative on the opposite face ofthe screen for forcing decorating material through the pervious area of the screen and upon the surface of the rolling 65 objects, said supporting means including two rotary, axially aligned, object-engaging members relatively movable transversely of the path of travel of the said conveyor for engaging and releasing said objects.

10. In a decorating machine, the combination of a stencil screen impervious in main and pervious in pattern, means for supporting the screen, an endless conveyor adapted to present round objects in succession to said stencil screen, means 05 for rotatably supporting the successively presented objects in rolling enga ement with one face of said stencil screen, and means operative on the opp site face of the screen for forcing decorating material through the pervious area 70 of the screen and upon the surface of the rolling objects, said supporting means including two rotary, axially aligned, object-engaging members relatively movable transversely of the path of porting means including two rotary, axially 2,027,102 leasing said objects, and means operable in co-' ordination with said conveyor for automatically shifting said members between object-engaging and object-releasing positions. r

11. A decorating machine including a; stencil screen impervious in main and pervious in pattern, means for supporting said screen, an endless conveyor adapted to' travel in linear course for presenting round objects in succession to said stencil screen, means for rotatably supporting the successively presented objects in rolling engagement with the face of said screen, said supaligned, object-engaging members relatively movable transversely of the path of travel of the conveyor for engaging and releasing said objects.

12. A decorating machine including a stencil screen impervious in main and pervious in pattem, means for supporting said screen, an endless conveyor adapted to present round objects in v succession to said stencil screen, means for rotatably supporting said objects, said supporting means including two rotary, axially aligned, ob ject-engaging members relatively movable transversely of the path of travel of the conveyor for engaging and releasing said objects, and means for positively rotating thesuccessively presented objects in rolling engagement with said stencil. ERNEST M. HOMMEL.

ELMER E. HICKS. 

